Hello all,
As the title states, we are considering when we should travel to southern France. If we travel in April will there be any museums and/or restaurants we will be missing out on?
Are there any transportation options cush as buses to and from small towns that we may miss out on?
Thank you!
Hi,
It is getting late to organize a trip for July in "southern France": I would wait. which part exactly do you have in mind? If South East (provence), then April is excellent (especially late April). It can be wet in the southwest, but still feasible.
Tourism starts to wake up again in April so nothing should be closed. Off the top of my head, the only hiccup could be in Les Baux (if you're headed to Provence), as there isn't any public transport there in Apr.
I've spent about the last 3 weeks in south-central and southwestern France. There have been a few hot days, but it has mostly been rather cool. I don't know whether this is unusually cool weather or typical. Based on this experience I wouldn't want to be in either of those two areas in April--but I'm cold-natured. It's my understanding that April in the southeast can be very nice.
Some tourist attractions along the Riviera will be closed at least one extra day per week in April, which means you would need to research the places of particular interest to you and work up a suitable schedule. I was there in May 2017 and didn't notice many restaurants closed. April isn't that far off-season. However, if you are planning to go to Provence, you should read about the mistral.
We are thinking about Provence and Nice area. Wondering what the average temps and wind are for April to determine if it will be cold.
You can find actual day-by-day historical weather data on timeanddate.com and wunderground.com. Look at the last three years at least; five would be better. For me, a temperature that's fine if it's dry can be uncomfortable if you get soaked. What has worked well for me this year is to have available the following: light merino wool long john bottoms; a pair of nylon, water-resistant slacks; a light fleece jacket; a waterproof, hooded, rain jacket; and a pair of lightweight fleece gloves. My only pair of shoes is waterproof, though my feet did end up wet after the first 3 hours of rain in Sarlat. I think the rain traveled from my umbrella to my slacks to my socks.
I only needed the gloves a couple of times in the first half of April--but I was in Andalucia at the time. The rest of that gear has been used a lot.
April weather can be unpredictible -- it can be nice or it can be dreadful, or all of the above and somewhere inbetween during your stay. Sometimes, you will find places just open for the spring in April, after Easter, in the countryside. You may find some tour offering less in that time, in Provence -- I encourage you to consider a car for at least a couple of days to maximize your trip. The driving is super easy in the villages and small towns of Provence. .
It is not necessary in Nice, where I have an apartment. You may see the hours on a rare place reduced but almost all business will be open in April (with the exception of the beach clubs and other relate summer businesses). January and sometimes November is when some restaurants close to take their holidays.
It’s a bit late to make arrangements for next month. However, it is true that April weather is a bit unpredictable. July = hot. I doubt many museums will be closed in April. Where exactly are you thinking of going? If you have some specific ones in mind, you can check on their websites for open times.
The usual time for restaurants to take time off is winter. I don’t think you would have a problem in April.
April the weather will be unpredictable as mentioned and the days will be shorter than they will be in July. July will be hot though so you'd need AC IMO. I think in Provence a car is a must not so much down on the Cote d Azur where there is a bus network
